Impact Michigan

Andy Gutman is a commercial real estate exec and songwriter/author combo. He may be the President of the Farbman Group during his 9-to-5, but for his 5-to-9 he’s chosen and pretty unique side hustle as a songwriter and children’s book author. We chat about how he finds his left and right brain balance, how his kids fuel his creative fire, and what parents can learn from deploying creativity in their parenting strategy. Links: The Farbman Group: https://www.farbman.com/ Intermitten: www.intermitten.org Charlie the Caterpillar: https://www.gutcheckpublishing.com/author.php Andy’s Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Andy-Gutman/e/B07B6BR767

Chris Lambert, CEO of Life Remodeled. Life Remodeled is an organization whose mission is to bridge people across divides to help transform each other’s lives. They do this by investing approximately $5 million in cash, labor and materials into one Detroit neighborhood each year. If you’ve ever seen large groups of people wearing brightly colored shirts working to clean shrubbery, tear down blight, remodel a high school, etc, you’ve probably come across Life Remodeled volunteers. Links: Life Remodeled: https://www.liferemodeled.com Intermitten: https://intermitten.org Chris’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a4xt1gfB6s

Pamela Moore is the President and CEO of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, where they work to support the Detroit Public Schools Community District. In this episode, we discuss her background, growing up in Detroit and attending Detroit Public Schools, and the crowdfunding campaign the Foundation is running. ––––– Links: DPSF: http://www.dpsfdn.org/educate-detroit-public-schools-live/ Crowdfunding Campaign: https://give.classy.org/dpseducates

In today’s episode, we chat with Chanell Scott Contreras and Joanna Dueweke-Perez. They are Intermitten 2019 speakers and they are giving their talk on Radical inclusion. Listen in as we discuss community-centered economic development, courage in entrepreneurship, and being co-creators instead of gatekeepers. Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. ————— Links: ProsperUS: http://www.prosperusdetroit.org TechTown: https://techtowndetroit.org Chanell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanellscottcontreras/ Joanna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaduewekeperez/ Intermitten: https://intermitten.org

Marc Hudson is the CEO and Cofounder of Rocket Fiber, the fastest internet out there, certainly in the Detroit area. We get to chat about the founding story of the company, how a submission to “The Cheese Factory” kickstarted it all, and what happens when you deploy a #GiveFirst mentality. Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. ————— Links: Rocket Fiber: http://rocketfiber.com Marc's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-hudson-5863a64/ Intermitten: https://intermitten.org NETSCOUT: https://www.netscout.com/ WeWork: www.we.co/podcast

In this episode of the Impact Michigan podcast, we host Jim Tenzillo of Invest Michigan. Invest Michigan is an investment fund that invests in early stage technology companies that are located in the state of Michigan. Jim started there a few years ago after first cutting his teeth as an accountant in Chicago, eventually breaking into the world of startups running Operations & Marketing at LinkCapital. We chat about how he got his start in venture capital, what’s he’s seen with regard to the growth of the Michigan startup ecosystem, and he even gives us a few startups to watch over the next few years. ————— Links: Invest Michigan: https://investmichigan.org Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtenzillo/ NETSCOUT: https://www.netscout.com/ Intermitten: https://intermitten.org

Beth is an expert at navigating corporate cultures and has over a decade of experience maximizing organizational impact. She leads the community engagement initiative at NETSCOUT leading the charge on impactful community initiatives. In today’s episode, we get to chat about her take on culture from a wide range of professions, how to create meaningful community strategies, and what drives her to do good work. ————— NETSCOUT: https://netscout.com Beth's Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethskirsch Intermitten: https://intermitten.org/

Jeff Epstein is the Founder of Ambassador, the #1 referral marketing software platform. They were recently acquired by West Corp., and Jeff has since moved on from the company. We catch up with him a few months after the acquisition and chat about his next phase of life, reflect on his time being a pioneer of the current Detroit startup scene, and we even talk about the ingenuity needed to get through a recession. ————— Links: Jeff's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeff_epstein Jeff's Blog: https://medium.com/@jeff_epstein Intermitten: https://intermitten.org/

Blake Robbins is a Michigan State grad who’s worked at Tesla, Nest, Google, and now Ludlow Ventures, Blake is one of the pioneers in the eSports industry when it comes to investing and even founding. He helped launch and cofound 100 Thieves, the fastest growing eSports and lifestyle brand in the space. We have the pleasure of chatting about that as well as discussing eSports and streaming in general, how video games have become the Third Place for kids, and where the industry is going. ————— Links: Ludlow Ventures: https://ludlowventures.com/ Blake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakeir Intermitten: www.intermitten.org WeWork: we.co/podcastdetroit

Today’s episode features not one guest, but two! Lia James and Christopher Guest are the halves that make the whole of Human Inclusive, which is a podcast that curates stories of diverse communities amplifying voices and experiences of marginalized communities. Join us as we chat about what they’ve learned highlighting stories and voices of the underheard. ————— Links: Human Inclusive: https://www.humaninclusive.com/ Intermitten: https://intermitten.org

Laura Khalil is devoted to helping women embody the confidence and develop the clarity to speak up, get paid what they're worth and lead mission driven lives. She has spoken to audiences at Creative Mornings, Zingtrain, Consumers Energy, Ladies Get Paid and Intermitten on courage, entrepreneurship and personal branding. She has consulted on branding initiatives for GE, Twitter, Intel, Intuit and more. In this episode, we chat about how being an empowered being may hurt you in corporate life but can help you as an entrepreneur, why creating a value structure is important to your career and life, and how to conduct verbal jiu-jitsu in the workplace. Links: Laura: https://laurakhalil.net/ Intermitten: www.intermitten.org Cahoots: https://beincahoots.com/

Rajiv 'RajNATION' Nathan is Founder of Startup Hypeman, helping increase the success rate of startups by building messages that stand out to their audience and stand apart from their competitors. He was named an "Agent of Change" by Huffington Post, has given a TED Talk, and been featured in Inc, Forbes, and more. He's also a hip hop artist, yoga instructor, and host of the popular show Startup Hypeman: The Podcast. Talk to him about Hamilton, WWE, or Seinfeld and you'll have a friend for life. ————— Links: Startup Hypeman: https://www.startuphypeman.com/ Startup Hypeman: The Podcast: https://www.startuphypeman.com/podcast Intermitten: https://intermitten.org Hyde Park Angels: http://hydeparkangels.com/

On this episode of the Impact Michigan podcast, we chat with Hunter Rosenblume of Lunar Wireless. Hunter Rosenblume is the Founder and CEO of Lunar Wireless, a telecommunications company focused on providing cellular coverage to everyone. He was born and raised in New York, but after multiple hackathons and an internship in Detroit, he fell in love. Since his move to the city, he hasn't looked back and has brought, recruited and showed multiple budding entrepreneurs, innovators and change-makers to the city for them to experience the beauty that is Detroit. Partner Highlight: Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Sponsor Highlight: Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. To achieve its mission, Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, visit www.AnnArborUSA.org. Links: Lunar Wireless Intermitten Ann Arbor SPARK

On this episode of the Impact Michigan podcast, we talk to Melissa Butler of The Lip Bar. She is a Detroit native, Cass Tech and Florida A&M grad who left a career on Wall Street to solve a problem that she just had enough of. After being fed up with how the beauty industry's norms were reeking of excessive chemicals and a linear mode of thinking, she created The Lip Bar. With The Lip Bar, she's been on Shark Tank, given a TEDx Talk, and is selling in Target stores across the nation. She famously said that “Everyone deserves to have representation. Without it, we are left seeking validation.” I got the chance to chat with her minutes before she gave her talk at TEDxDetroit this past August. Partner Highlight: Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Sponsor Highlight: Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. To achieve its mission, Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, visit www.AnnArborUSA.org. Links: The Lip Bar Intermitten Ann Arbor SPARK

In this episode of the Impact Michigan podcast, we chat with Henri Pierre-Jacques, Detroit expat and co-founder of Harlem Capital. I ran into him at last Fall's Detroit Homecoming and was fortunate enough to grab him for 30 minutes as he was hustling around meeting Detroit entrepreneurs and investors. We chat about Harlem Capital's mission to fund 1,000 diverse founders, building financial literacy programs in education, overcapitalized startups, and the growth and development of Detroit's startup ecosystem. Presenting Partner: Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Partner Highlight: Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. To achieve its mission, Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, visit www.AnnArborUSA.org. Links: Harlem Capital Intermitten NewFoundry

In this episode of the Impact Michigan podcast, we chat with Steven Mazur, Cofounder/CEO at Ash & Erie. A metro-Detroit native, Steven has grown to love the city and its people. So much so that he moved back to start his career and eventually found a company. Going through the startup-world famous Venture for America program, he took his learnings and experiences back with him to Detroit to help grow Waymark (also a Detroit startup) and eventually cofound Ash & Erie. After pitching their company on Shark Tank, Steven and his co-founder, Eric, landed a deal with none other than Mark Cuban. We chat about growing up in similar zipcodes, Venture for America being a "people accelerator," his experience on Shark Tank, working with Mark Cuban, and a whole lot more. Presenting Partner: Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Partner Highlight: NewFoundry is an Ann Arbor based innovation studio working with leaders and change-makers from startups to multinational corporations; from health systems to automotive suppliers; from financial services to consumer products – and beyond. Links: Ash & Erie Intermitten NewFoundry

James Chapman is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund. He’s a serial entrepreneur, nationally recognized speaker, and author of #TheHustle. He prides himself in being both revenue-driven, and socially conscious. His first company launched was an oil change delivery company in 2013, despite having never changed oil before in his life. He later founded a coworking space called Workaholics, described as a collision workspace in the evening hours for people wanting to collaborate and work on their ideas together. Intermitten is a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Links: James Chapman - http://iwrotethehustle.com/ Intermitten - https://intermitten.org/ Partner Highlight: http://thenewfoundry.com/

Rich Sheridan is the founder of Menlo Innovations, made famous by its tours and workshops centered around how they maximize Joy in the workplace. Which makes sense, considering Rich himself has authored two books with “Joy” in the title. Which also reminds me that Rich recently came out with a book last December, titled “Chief Joy Officer,” which offers readers insights on how to embody Joy in their own management/leadership practices. The Impact Michigan podcast is presented by Intermitten, a grassroots, volunteer-operated organization that was founded in 2016. Our mission is to unite the Midwest tech community, thoughtfully nurture its development, and highlight it as a hub of and destination for entrepreneurial talent and innovation. Links: Intermitten Conference Rich Sheridan Chief Joy Officer

Well, well, well... We're back friends :) Tune into this episode as I interview a special guest as part of our announcement for Season 3 and the future of this show.

Stella Safari is one of Detroit's busiest transplants. She moved to Detroit as a Venture for America fellow, working for Invest Detroit, an early stage funder of businesses. Her interest in startups led her to furniture maker Floyd, where she was director of operations, and to business center Ponyride, where she was executive director. Now she leads the gBETA accelerator, which provides six weeks of free training to fast-growing companies to prepare them for venture funding. It's completed two cohorts. Cohort companies have gone on to raise over $400,000 in capital and include The Lip Bar, Cellular EMT, Bogobrush and Detroit Ento. Links: gBETA: https://www.gbetastartups.com/detroit2/ Support us on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Richard is the CEO of JOURNi, an organization dedicated to bridging the diversity gap in tech. JOURNi is an organization dedicated to equipping urban communities with the skills and resources necessary to jumpstart their local economies. We strive to build an authentically inclusive tech ecosystem in the city of Detroit, by tapping into the heart and spirit of its residents. To achieve this goal, we will provide immersive courses, youth-centered programming, beneficial employment opportunities, start up education, and socioeconomic resources. Links: JOURNi: http://www.journi.org Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

David has over twenty-five years experience in the high-tech arena as a senior executive and has had extensive involvement in the field of cybersecurity throughout his career. Trillium Secure keeps your connected and autonomous vehicles safe and your private information confidential through a cybersecurity platform as a subscription service. Trillium’s software products are used by automotive OEMs, aerospace and defense organizations, insurance companies and ride-share services to form a multi-layered defense against cyber-attacks. Links: Website: https://trilliumsecure.com/ Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Chris Thomas is a man on a mission. The former co-founder of Fontinalis Partners, he invests in and mentors companies in the fast-growing space of mobility. I think the most impressive part of his story is how he put himself in a position to cofound Fontinalis, especially as he planted the seed early on in his career at Ford Motor Company. Check out the episode as we chat about the future of transportation, how young people can be thoughtful about their own success and what it takes to set up Michigan as the City for Mobility. Links: Website: http://detroitmobilitylab.org/ Support us on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Graduating from Harvard as part of the "Facebook class," you could say Nathan Labenz is one smart guy. Which would be an understatement. As CEO of Waymark, he's helping democratize video marketing for all businesses. They recently launched their new online store where you can purchase personalized video ads perfect for Facebook and Instagram. Waymark combines art and technology to build agency-quality videos for your business with just the click of a button. Designed by Hollywood producers and customized by their Content API, you can have a ready-to-run video in seconds. Big business campaigns, small business pricing. Check out our interview where we chat small business marketing, the impact Facebook had on Harvard's campus and the responsibility marketers have on society. Links: Website: www.waymark.com Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

A culturally curious thinker, Marcus Collins is one of the worlds' premier minds in marketing. As Chief Consumer Connections Officer for Doner, he's pioneering a new role to help Doner's clients "get a deeper, more scientific understanding of consumers." Recently, Doner and their client, Farmland, were recognized as AdAge's #1 Most Creative Brand Idea You Need To Know About Now for their response campaign against Supreme. You can read about that here: http://adage.com/creativity/work/farmland-supreme-lookbook/55333 Check out our interview with him as we chat about network-based marketing (not network marketing), who influences us the most and Kanye West's shenanigans. Links: Website: www.marctothec.com and www.doner.com Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

"When internet security specialist Dug Song found out the company he worked for got hacked by a 17-year-old high school student, he didn't alert the authorities. Instead, he hired him." That's how Dug met Jon, his eventual co-founder of Duo Security, which recently was acquired by Cisco for $2.35B in cash... "As an active person in SE Michigan's startup community, I can say Dug is hands down one of the most impactful people in our ecosystem." - Leann Check out our interview with him as we talk about building a statewide inclusive startup ecosystem in Michigan, creating a culture where everyone uplifts each other and what the future of Michigan's economy looks like. Links: Website: www.duo.com Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

As the CEO of Nutshell, Part owner of The Blind Pig A2, and Cofounder of Cahoots, Joe is likely one of the busiest people in Ann Arbor. With 3 degrees from the University of Michigan, he started his career at GreenOrder. After getting his MBA at The Ross School of Business, he worked at DTE Energy as Senior Associate before eventually leaving to start his own investment firm, CKM Partners. Recently making news waves with his move to buy The Blind Pig (in order to save it) and opening Ann Arbor tech hub, Cahoots, he's not one to shy away from being the face of a movement. Links: Website: www.nutshell.com Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Drug Abuse. Addiction. Recovery. These are real problems and issues we face in our country, and we have to find scalable, equitable solutions to them. That’s why we interviewed Workit Health, an Ann-Arbor based private online service to help people break addictions. Powered by science and backed by experts, their Workit Care™ program delivers evidence-based recovery programs and courses designed specifically for you. Workit's Website: https://www.workithealth.com/ Support us on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/leannabad

Being both a creative and an entrepreneur can seem contradictory in some ways, but Justin Mast seems to have found the perfect way to combine the two. Taking over his family business over in 2006, he began to learn the operational expertise needed by an entrepreneur and founder. Now, in his role as Founder and CEO of Bloomscape, he combines the creative design skills he learned at the Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning with the firsthand entrepreneurial experience he's gained over the years as a serial founder and entrepreneur. Fittingly, he comes from over 5 generations of Dutch greenhouse growers and floral industry experts, so you could say he has Founder - Market - Fit. Tune in as we chat about the business of design, the learning curve of a creative entrepreneur, and how Bloomscape is using the growth of their plants to help grow Detroit and Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Jason's approach to life is simple: Get rid of Monarchy; Implement a Doerarchy. As Founder and CEO of Benzinga.com, he lives and breathes this mentality all throughout his organization, and it shows up in their success. Benzinga is a dynamic and innovative financial media outlet that empowers investors with high-quality, unique content that is coveted by Wall Street's top traders. Seeing hundreds of investments a week is a difficult task to get right, but Jason seems to do it with ease. Tune in as he explains what a "Doerarchy" is, how he, along with Mark Cuban, passed on investing in Twitch.tv, and how Benzinga's presence in the financial industry is creating Impact for the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan.

Dubbed the "Stock Market of Things," StockX is one of, if not the fastest growing startup in Detroit, and CEO Josh Luber is at the forefront of all that growth. Beginning as a passion project outside his time at IBM, Luber started StockX (then known as Campless) off of his passion for sneakers. As a dedicated sneakerhead, he often found himself buying and reselling sneakers, and he found there was no price guidebook to reference. Think Kelley Blue Book for comparing car prices. That's when he got started with Campless, and although they're relatively a huge company now, they grew slowly. It wasn't until Luber was approached by billionaire Dan Gilbert (Chairman, Quicken Loans; Owner, Cleveland Cavs) to buy out Campless and pursue a joint venture that growth started to kick in. Now, StockX is processing over $2M in sales... DAILY. We had the chance to interview Josh and chat about the growth of StockX and how it's creating Impact for Detroit, and more broadly, Michigan.

An Israeli Navy Seal, Doron spent the first part of his life in his native homeland of Haifa, Israel. After finishing his duty, he moved to the United States and settled down in Southeast Michigan. Actually, settled down is definitely NOT the right term, as he immersed himself into the startup scene here right away and has been here for just about 30 years. As the founder of multiple successful startups, some of which he’s taken to acquisition, he’s taken his skills and learnings to run an executive coaching firm, a private equity group, and a venture studio all focused on helping the comeback of Michigan’s economy happen. This episode is part of Capital Appreciation Month. We’re interviewing Michigan’s venture capitalists and angel investors in an effort to highlight those who made the early investment (quite literally) in our community. Capital Appreciation Month is sponsored by the Michigan Venture Capital Association. The MVCA exists to increase the amount of capital and talent av

Jake is a 3-time University of Michigan graduate who got both his MBA and his JD at the same time! During his undergrad years, he started his first company called Ugrub, which provided college students with an easy‐to‐navigate listing of restaurant menus and weekly specials. After selling that company to a competitor in 2006, he became a consultant for Deloitte, where he focused on Strategy and Operations. Fast forward a few years to when he was one of the early cofounders of Detroit Venture Partners, where he currently manages Dan Gilbert’s venture capital investments. This episode is part of Capital Appreciation Month. We’re interviewing Michigan’s venture capitalists and angel investors in an effort to highlight those who made the early investment (quite literally) in our community. Capital Appreciation Month is sponsored by the Michigan Venture Capital Association. The MVCA exists to increase the amount of capital and talent available to investors so they can fund Michigan’s most

A Wolverine-Spartan hybrid, Chris is one of the pioneers in the venture capital ecosystem here in Michigan. After 13 years as an attorney, he went through a massive career change to transition into life as a venture capitalist. Alongside now-Governor Rick Snyder, he started his venture capital career at Avalon Investments. He’s served on Boards like the MVCA, NextEnergy, and University of Detroit-Jesuit High School. Currently, he operates as CEO for Renaissance Venture Capital Fund. This episode is part of Capital Appreciation Month. We’re interviewing Michigan’s venture capitalists and angel investors in an effort to highlight those who made the early investment (quite literally) in our community. Capital Appreciation Month is sponsored by the Michigan Venture Capital Association. The MVCA exists to increase the amount of capital and talent available to investors so they can fund Michigan’s most innovative entrepreneurs and ideas. Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStart

With 25+ years in the tech industry, it’s pretty safe to say Doug is a technology veteran. A graduate of Central Michigan University, he started his career at Hewlett-Packard as a Software Engineer and left after 4 years to become a Director at Symantec (Semantic). It was shortly after that when he started Mobile Automation, developing enterprise system management solutions for tech companies and service providers. After selling Mobile Automation to iPass for $20M in 2004, he wouldn’t get back to life as an entrepreneur until 2007 with Boomdash. Fast forward to 2012, he started eLab ventures in Ann Arbor and at the same time served as Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan. Currently, he serves full-time as Co-Founder and Managing Director at eLab and as a board member for several tech startups in the area. This episode is part of Capital Appreciation Month. We’re interviewing Michigan’s venture capitalists and angel investors in an effort

An advocate for and leader in transportation mobility, Lisa started her career at the City of Detroit office as a Business Analyst and shortly after became the Chief of Staff to House Majority Leader Steve Tobocman. A few years later, she went back to the City of Detroit working as a Senior Associate where she helped bring Code for America to the Motor City. It wasn’t too long after that when she started to dip her toes into the mobility industry. With Wayne State University, she helped conduct the research and execute the vision of Detroit’s first public bike share program, which she now runs as MoGo Detroit. This episode ends the month of Mobility. We interviewed the top entrepreneurs, directors, and government officials in mobility to give you all a sense of what’s happening in Southeastern Michigan around car sharing, transportation, public transit, etc. Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite ASHE FB Page: htt

Mark is a transportation planning veteran, and he knew he wanted to work in mobility before mobility was even a term. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he studied Systems Engineering (specifically focused on transportation) he started his career as a Project Consultant for traffic engineering and geometric design. After spending almost a decade in Chicago working as a transportation consultant, he packed his bags and moved to Detroit. Currently, he works to improve in-city mobility for residents of Detroit, and I believe his work, is going to help turn the Motor City, into the Mobility City. This episode is part of the month of Mobility. We’re interviewing the top entrepreneurs, directors, and government officials in mobility to give you all a sense of what’s happening in Southeastern Michigan around car sharing, transportation, public transit, etc. ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite) M2 FB Page: http://bit.ly/Mich

An East Coast, to West Coast, to Midwest transplant, Jessica Robinson started out in the tea industry holding roles such as Head of Sales and Marketing, Product Manager, and Customer Relations. After dominating the tea market, she joined the team at Zipcar and managed Marketing in Seattle, Locations in the Bay Area, and eventually served as their Market Launch Manager for North America, a role where she helped launch 7 new markets in 18 months. Now she does work at Ford Smart Mobility helping to bridge the gap between innovation and policy. This episode is part of the month of Mobility. We’re interviewing the top entrepreneurs, directors, and government officials in mobility to give you all a sense of what’s happening in Southeastern Michigan around car sharing, transportation, public transit, etc. ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite M2 FB Page: http://bit.ly/MichiganMakersFB Jessica's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarobinson/ (https://www.linkedin.com

Lisa is a Wayne State Warrior, she started her career in the sports industry, wearing a variety of hats at her alma mater’s athletic department. Soon after, she joined the team at DUO Security heading up People and Culture. When she realized she couldn’t keep making the commute from Detroit to Ann Arbor every day, she had to look for something else. That’s when she met the folks over at TechStars and helped kickstart the Mobility program in Detroit. They’re going strong in their upcoming 4th year running the program, which I’m really excited to see. ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook Meeting of the Minds Mobility Summit: http://bit.ly/MOTMxM2

Amanda Roraff has produced and planned events and trade shows for multiple companies for over 20 years. After getting her Bachelor’s Degree from the James Madison College of Public Policy at Michigan State, she started out as a Programs Manager in the dental industry, of all places. Shortly after that, however, she became the Operations Manager for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, effectively kickstarting her career in tech. A few jobs after that she monetized her event production skills and became an independent consultant for a variety of companies, including (but not limited to) Blue Cross Blue Shield, Covenant Community Care, and BI Worldwide. After heading up Marketing at NextEnergy in Detroit, she became the Operations Manager for the PlanetM initiative, the role she currently serves in. Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook PlanetM Website: https://puremi.c

A New Orleans native and graduate of Tulane University, Molly McFarland launched her career in Marketing and Business Development at an architectural design firm in Ann Arbor. During her time as Marketing Director at another Ann Arbor startup, she and a coworker started working on a side project that eventually became what is now the company she co-founded with said coworker, AdAdapted. So far, they’ve secured clients such as the Detroit Lions, Nestle, and Proctor and Gamble. They’ve raised over $1M almost solely from Michigan-based investors, and they have some really cool stuff in the pipeline. AdAdapted Website: http://bit.ly/2Fdg4Hj AdAdapted Blog Post: http://bit.ly/2Jp1dMp Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite M2 FB Page: http://bit.ly/MichiganMakersFB

Amanda Lewan is an award-winning writer and entrepreneur. After getting her Bachelor's in professional writing from Michigan State University and her Masters in English from Wayne State, she launched into the marketing world as a content marketer at Sunny Media Group. Shortly after, she launched Michipreneur, Michigan's only statewide publication on entrepreneurship and innovation. Taking her passion for building entrepreneurial communities, she cofounded Bamboo Detroit, a coworking space for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds. She's a Crain's 20 in their 20's awardee, one of Corp! Magazine's Most Valuable Millennials, and recipient of the City of Detroit Spirit of Detroit & Community Service Award. Bamboo Website: http://bit.ly/2EWePwd (http://bit.ly/2EWePwd) Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 (http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18) ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite) ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook

Jason Mendelson has some serious street cred. A 2-time graduate of the University of Michigan, he started out as a software engineer at Accenture, and after realizing he wanted to be a lawyer, got his law degree, became a lawyer in the Bay Area and now he's a venture capitalist (although he really hates that name). Currently, he serves as the Managing Director at Foundry Group, a Venture Capital firm in Boulder, Colorado, and let me tell you, they put out some hilarious music videos. Blog Post: http://bit.ly/2GRcYhY Video Version: http://bit.ly/2v45YsC Jason's song: http://bit.ly/2IJvLYO   ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite)

Paul Riser is a lifelong Detroit native. He started his career at Sun Microsystems at its peak and currently his main gig, among a litany of other commitments, is serving as TechTown Detroit's Managing Director of Tech-Based Entrepreneurship, a role fitting to his expertise of over 20 years in the tech industry. He's the chair of the board of BLAC Detroit, the premiere lifestyle magazine for African Americans in and around Detroit. He is also the Chief Information and Technology Officer of Innovative Health Technologies & Hi-Tech Research Labs. MedHealth Innovation Website: http://bit.ly/2Gxfq8R Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 (http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18) ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite) ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook (http://bit.ly/ashefacebook)

Jeanette Pierce is a lifelong native of Detroit proper, and she is what I would call the human encyclopedia of all things Detroit. After studying abroad in Spain, she was inspired to help create the same small-town, know your neighbors across the street feel to Detroit, as she saw fit. Since then, she's worked at building the new narrative of Detroit for over 15 years. In her cofounder and director roles at Inside Detroit, D:hive, and now the Detroit Experience Factory, she has been a huge contributor to the new-age perspective on Detroit. Having toured Senators, Governors, Mayors, Presidents, CEOs, and so many more, she's experienced firsthand, and even been the cause of, the frame shift of what was once seen as a desolate city, to one that is thriving.   DXF Website: http://bit.ly/DXFxASHE Spring Soiree: http://detroitexperiencefactory.org/soiree ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite) ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook

This episode is a continuation of "How Venture School Is Reshaping Entrepreneurial Education in Detroit." (From Venture School website) The mission of VentureSchool is to empower students to become capable, curious, and courageous leaders, innovators, and agents of change in their community through groundbreaking educational opportunities. Equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset, our students will be prepared to develop solutions to the complex challenges that affect our lives today and the world tomorrow. Our vision is to create unrivaled, community-rooted learning experiences that leverage innovative design and student-centeredness through the lens of entrepreneurial education. Though our work is centered on Detroit's east side, we hope to cement a model that can be replicated across the city and eventually throughout the Midwest to create a region-wide network of young entrepreneurial thinkers ready to tackle the world's greatest challenges.   Marvin English is the Founding Hea

Venture School's mission is to empower students to become capable, curious, and courageous leaders, innovators, and agents of change in their community through groundbreaking educational opportunities. Equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset, their students will be prepared to develop solutions to the complex challenges that affect their lives today and the world tomorrow.   Marvin English is the Founding Head of School at VentureSchool Detroit. Prior to his role at VentureSchool, Marvin was the Founding School Principal at EAGLE College Prep Fox Park Charter School (https://eagleprep.org/fox-park) in St. Louis, Missouri and a founding leader of Brilla College Prep Charter School (http://www.brillacollegeprep.org/) in the South Bronx of New York City. Marvin also served as the Founding Director of Curriculum and Instruction for a nonprofit organization that worked in conjunction with Detroit Public Schools.   Drew Schantz is Founder and Executive Director of VentureSchool, and a f

Deirdre Groves is a self-identified social entrepreneur, having founded multiple nonprofits. A graduate of both Michigan State AND the University of Michigan, she has degrees in both Construction Management and Urban Planning. She’s a Crain’s 40 Under 40 awardee, recipient of the Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard Award, Honoree of the Women and Leadership in the Workplace Award, and she’s been recognized by Governing Magazine as one of the top 10 people that could save Detroit, a list that (for reference) also bears the name of billionaire Dan Gilbert, Cofounder of Quicken Loans and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even with all of those accomplishments, she remains cool to the touch and rooted in practicality, having attracted thousands of applicants to the program she currently executively directs - Challenge Detroit. In this episode, she’ll detail why Detroit is the place to move, and, if you’re a new grad or know of one, why Challenge Detroit is the perfect program for you to c

Edi Demaj's story is one that will impact everyone who listens to it. A childhood riddled with hardship, he never had a real education from 1st to 7th grade since his family lived life on the run. Having to dodge bullets most of their life in Kosovo, his family made it to the border of Macedonia and were let in by an Albanian police commander. Considering their options, his parents decided to move to the US, which was a life-changing decision that gave him a chance to exceed all expectations. After getting his Bachelor’s Degree at Oakland University, he started in the real estate game after a mentor of his took a chance on him. He worked his way up the ladder and eventually started working at Bedrock Real Estate in Detroit. He now operates Rocket Fiber: Detroit’s Fastest Internet. ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite (http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite) ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook Rocket Fiber Website: http://bit.ly/2EWPXFp Edi's Twitter: @edidemaj

Shelly Sahi is a first-time founder, yet she’s already been making waves across not only the Michigan startup scene but the global fashion and beauty industry as well. Starting out as a researcher at the Univ. of Michigan hospital, she made a career change and started working at Ford Motor Company as a materials science researcher. Not satisfied, she moved up to the business office and started going to night classes at Michigan to get her MBA. After completing her MBA in two and a half years, she went fully into the company she started during the program, SAHI Cosmetics. Website: http://bit.ly/SAHIxASHE Socials: @sahicosmetics Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 ASHE Media Website: http://bit.ly/ashemediawebsite ASHE FB Page: http://bit.ly/ashefacebook

Ryan Landau is a serial entrepreneur, having started his first company at the ripe age of 14 years old, ran it during his high school and college years with his brother before eventually selling it to a competitor. A Michigan State alum who got his professional start post-graduation at IBM in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C., he felt the call to move back to Michigan and start a tech company of his own. With his brother, he started Chalkfly, an e-commerce platform for janitorial and office supplies. After selling the company in 2014, he worked at Detroit-based Ambassador before heading back to the entrepreneur life to start re:purpose, where he wants to create a world where everyone pursues their passions and is a part of something greater than themselves. re:purpose website: http://bit.ly/repurposeashe re:purpose Twitter: @repurposeHQ Ryan’s Email: ryan@repurpose.co Ryan’s Twitter: @RyanKLandau Detroit Startup Week: http://bit.ly/DetroitStartupWeek18 (http://bit.ly/Detroit